Cal Poly Hosts First-Time Foe Lincoln University Saturday

Saturday, September 16

San Luis Obispo, CA

5:02 p.m.

Lincoln

Tickets

Photo by: Kyle Calzia

Cal Poly Hosts First-Time Foe Lincoln University Saturday

9/12/2023 2:18:00 PM | Football

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SAN LUIS OBISPO – Playing three of its next four games at home inside Mustang Memorial Field Presented by French Hospital, the Cal Poly football program hosts first-time opponent Lincoln University (Oakland, Calif.) on Saturday, Sept. 16. Kickoff time is 5:02 p.m. with action broadcast on ESPN+ for Cal Poly (1-1), which handed San Diego a 27-10 defeat in its Sept. 2 season opener before sustaining a Sept. 9 setback at FBS San Jose State. A week away from opening Big Sky Conference action at Portland State, Cal Poly looks to start a season with back-to-back home victories for the first time since 2014. The Mustangs are seeking to complete non-conference preparations with a winning mark for the first time since 2016. Competing in just its third season, Lincoln (0-3) began 2023 with a 37-7 setback at College of Idaho (Aug. 26) before falling at Division II sides Adams State, 35-16 (Sept. 2), and Western Oregon, 29-14 (Sept. 9). Cal Poly counts as the first of eight Division I opponents for non-affiliated Oakland, which plays all 12 of its games this season on the road.

HUARD ON TARGET: A January transfer from Washington, sophomore quarterback Sam Huard's Sept. 2 debut for Cal Poly comprised a 23-for-41 performance for 368 yards. Huard now ranks as the Big Sky Conference's third leading passer with 434 total yards, 217.0 yards per game and 34 completions. Huard was selected as one of Cal Poly's four captains alongside junior linebacker David Meyer, defensive lineman Elijah Ponder and offensive lineman Garrett Weichman.
DEFENSE MAKES ITS MARK: Cal Poly's 27-10, season-opening victory against San Diego (Sept. 2) marked the program's first performance without conceding an offensive touchdown since a 34-3 victory at San Diego (Nov. 22, 2014) – a streak of 81 games. San Diego, limited to 241 total yards of offense, scored its touchdown through a 48-yard interception return. With a career high 12-tackle performance at San Jose State (Sept. 9) and 11 against San Diego, sophomore linebacker Ethan Calvert co-leads all Big Sky Conference players with 23 while ranking 15th among FCS players. Junior Elijah Ponder, the Sept. 3 Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honoree after producing three sacks against San Diego, remains the conference's leader in that category while ranking third nationally.

THE WULFF OF CALIFORNIA BOULEVARD: Cal Poly's 27-10, season-opening win against San Diego (Sept. 2) provided Paul Wulff his first victory as Cal Poly head coach and first triumph as a collegiate head coach in 12 years. Having led Eastern Washington to three FCS Playoff appearances (2004-05, 2007) before serving as head coach at Washington State (2008-11), Cal Poly's victory was Wulff's first as a head coach since guiding the Cougars to a 37-27 victory against Arizona State on Nov. 12, 2011. Named the Cal Poly program's 18th head coach on Dec. 6, 2022, Wulff – a near three-decade collegiate coaching veteran – is a three-time Big Sky Coach of the Year recipient at Eastern Washington (2001, 2004-05) while having directed the Eagles to a share of two Big Sky titles. Wulff's other Big Sky coaching stops include Sacramento State (2016-18) and UC Davis (2019). The 2023 season marks Wulff's 13th as a collegiate head coach.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Saturday's game is the 982nd in university history and the 322nd game Cal Poly will have played since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision level in 1994. The Mustangs are currently 156-165 as an FCS program. The 100th game at the FCS level was a 34-13 win at Texas-El Paso (Sept. 6, 2003) while the 200th was a 41-10 triumph at South Alabama to end the 2011 season. Game No. 300 was a 48-14 loss to South Dakota (Sept. 18, 2021). The 100th FCS win was at Old Dominion, 50-37 (Oct. 9, 2010), and the 100th loss was to Eastern Washington, 35-22 (Nov. 16, 2013). Cal Poly earned its 500th all-time win at Portland State in October 2017 and is playing its 105th overall season and 30th in the FCS this fall. Cal Poly was a member of the now-defunct American West Conference (Southern Utah, Sacramento State, CSUN) before becoming an independent in 1996. After eight years as an FCS Independent, the Mustangs became a charter member of the Great West Football Conference in 2004. Following eight seasons in the Great West (and four titles), Cal Poly moved to the Big Sky Conference in 2012, capturing the title in its first season.

BIG SKY'S THE LIMIT: Competing in the Football Championship Subdivision's deepest conference, five of Cal Poly's 11 games this fall – 46 percent – come against ranked Big Sky opponents (ranking current at time of matchup):

Date             Opponent (Coaches Poll/Stats Perform)      Result
Sept. 30        UC Davis (16/16)                                              --
Oct. 7           Idaho (10/5)                                                       --
Oct. 14         at Montana State (3/3)                                       --
Nov. 11        at Sacramento State (6/8)                                   --
Nov. 18        Weber State (7/9)                                               --

CAL POLY AGAINST THE BIG SKY: Since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 1994, Cal Poly is 63-87 against Big Sky opposition. Since joining the conference as an associate member for the 2012 season, Cal Poly is 34-48 in Big Sky play.

LOOKING AHEAD (SATURDAY, SEPT. 23): Cal Poly opens its 11th fall of Big Sky Conference action when visiting Portland State on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. Cal Poly has won three of its last four against the Vikings, including a 49-42 home triumph to close last fall. Cal Poly has also prevailed in two of its three visits to Portland State as a Big Sky opponent. The Vikings, however, captured the last matchup at Hillsboro Stadium on Oct. 30, 2021 (42-41). The Mustangs lead the all-time series, 13-11, dating to the first meeting – a 29-22 Cal Poly road win – on September 10, 1977. A win Saturday against Lincoln by Cal Poly coupled with a victory at Portland State would allow Paul Wulff to become the first, first-year Mustang head coach with wins in three of his first four games in charge.

ETC.: The Cal Poly program is in its 105th all-time season and playing its 29th fall of Football Championship Subdivision competition … Cal Poly improved to 8-1 all-time against San Diego with a 27-10, season-opening win (Sept. 2) while improving to 9-1 all-time against Pioneer Football League opposition … Cal Poly's leading tackler last fall, junior linebacker David Meyer was named to the Big Sky Media Preseason All-Conference Team as part of the league's July Football Kickoff Weekend … quarterback Sam Huard's 87-yard completion to sophomore tight end Carlton Brown during Cal Poly's Sept. 2 opener against San Diego marked Cal Poly's lengthiest pass play since an 89-yard effort by Chris Brown at South Dakota State (Sept. 6, 2014) … Cal Poly dropped its ninth straight matchup against FBS competition Sept. 9 at San Jose State, a streak dating to a 24-22 victory at Wyoming (Sept. 15, 2012).